Vietnam to consider Covid-19 endemic: PM

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Chinh asked the Ministry of Health to analyze and evaluate on a nationwide level the degree of protection that antibodies provide against the coronavirus.

The health ministry noted that the number of severe Covid-19 cases and deaths has been dropping, with a recent survey finding 96 percent of Vietnamese were satisfied with the government’s coronavirus prevention measures.

However, the ministry also cited cautions from the WHO and other countries, saying the pandemic would not be put completely under control before 2023, especially with the presence of the Omicron and other similar variants.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said a draft Covid-19 prevention program is expected to be completed and launched this week.

The program aims to bring Covid-19 under control by limiting community transmissions even as the country focuses on socio-economic recovery. It will also minimize the number of severe Covid-19 cases and deaths.

Vietnam has recorded over 3.63 million Covid-19 cases in the fourth coronavirus wave since late April, with 40,455 deaths.

To date, 70.7 million adults have received their first Covid-19 vaccine shots, 67.4 million have received their second and 14.6 million have received their third.

Nationwide, 8.6 million children aged 12-17 have received their first shots and 8.1 million have received their second.